Ep 53: A Libertarian View of Romans 13:1-7

Summary – A Libertarian View of Romans 13:1-7

We look at one of the most controversial passages in the New Testament, Romans 13:1-7. Paul appears to break with the consistent attitude of skepticism towards human power found nearly everywhere else in the Bible, and seems to contradict other statements that he makes within the letter to the Romans! We are going to break this passage down historically and see how it fits into Paul’s 2nd temple Jewish context, the early church, and the rhetorical setting of Romans, as well as how it works within the overall picture of government painted by the writers of the Bible. Before listening to this episode, I would check out Episodes 28, 29, 35, and 28. Links will be posted below.

Episode Outline:

I. Review of the Previous Three Weeks

II. The Problem of Romans 13:1-7

III. The Historical Context of Romans

IV. The Narrative Context of Romans

V. Romans 13:1-7

VI. Concluding Thoughts

Additional Resources

• Romans 13:1-7 in the Context of Imperial Propaganda, Neil Elliott (found in Paul and Empire, edited by Richard Horsley.
• The Apostle and the Empire, Christoph Heilig
• The Third Temptation, Austin Rogers
• After Paul Left Corinth, Bruce Winter
• Paul and the Faithfulness of God, N.T. Wright
• Ep. 28 | ‘The Anatomy of the State’ by Murray Rothbard (Part 1):
  • https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/anatomy-of-the-state-murray-rothbard-part-1/
• Ep. 29 | ‘The Anatomy of the State’ by Murray Rothbard (Part 2):
  • https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/anatomy-of-the-state-murray-rothbard-part-2/
• Ep. 35 | ‘The Apostle and the Empire’ with Dr. Christoph Heilig:
  • https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/the-apostle-and-the-empire-dr-christoph-heilig/